The Alabama Supreme Court today ruled that Gov. Bob Riley can continue his attempts to shut down VictoryLand, the state's only non-Indian bingo casino remaining in operation.

The court reversed a judge's order issuing a preliminary injunction that blocked an earlier raid at VictoryLand. Justices sent the case back to the Macon County judge who issued the injunction.

The issue before the court was whether lawyers for the governor needed permission from the attorney general or local district attorney before pursuing an investigation. The court ruled that Riley, who created a task force to try to shut down bingo casinos, was not wrongfully usurping the offices of the attorney general or the Macon County district attorney.

A lawyer for VictoryLand called the decision unprecedented and dangerous. The governor's office did not have an immediate comment on the ruling.

"It regrettably makes the law subject to the political whims of the governor. That's very, very dangerous," lawyer J. Mark White said.

"Based upon the ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court today, Alabama no longer has three branches of government -- it has one -- King Riley. The Alabama Supreme Court has now ruled that the attorney general, the district attorneys, sheriffs, and the judges of Alabama do not answer to the people of Alabama who elected them -- but to King Riley," a statement issued by VictoryLand said.